I was very pleased to receive your latest news about the plan to take the skin
off[1]
Deer—it is high time! On the other hand, it is evident from letters
that Deer and Vadim do not have a correct idea of the situation, and that there
is no mutual understanding between us. This is very regrettable (even if Vadim
’s last letter giving advice in the form of an ultimatum is not to be taken
seriously—Stake himself will reply to this, for, I repeat, I find it difficult to take such a thing seriously). Co-optation of Demon, Falcon,
etc., is an erroneous step, in my opinion, for these people lack experience and
self-dependence. The division of functions, too, is very dangerous, for it
threatens to produce fragmentation. Meanwhile the committees continue to be
neglected: in Kiev people are behaving foolishly and, strange to relate,
neither Andreyevsky, nor Dyadin, nor Lebedev, have gone into the committees to
fight. Kharkov, Ekaterinoslav, Don, and Gornozavodsky, too, are in the hands of
the
mutineers.[2]
Positions must be occupied everywhere by our people at all
costs. We must get at least one of our people, one who is wholly ours, on every
committee without fail. The Caucasus is beginning to be stirred
up[3]—there, too, they need our people’s help. More
important than a division of functions is for seats in each committee to be
occupied by our agents, and then for all efforts to be devoted to transport and
delivery.

When all is said and done, the most important thing, and our whole strength,
lies in transport. We should not be content with one route alone, but have two
or three, so as to put a stop to the continual interruptions.

It is extremely important to issue the
announcement[4] as soon as
possible, to issue it in Russia and distribute it everywhere. For heaven’s
sake, hurry up with this and write to us about it quickly and precisely. Brutus
should be formally elected to the Council and his vote formally transferred to
Stake. This is a matter that brooks no delay.

In my view, it is extremely important that Deer should be sent here if only for
a couple of weeks, or even a week. This would be very, very useful, giving a
view of every thing à vol d’oiseau, enabling him to see the source of
ferment and to achieve full mutual understanding. Surely, no one can grudge a
mere 200 rubles and two or three weeks for the sake of this! Surely a legal
foreign passport could be found for Deer! Think this over carefully. I strongly
recommend this step, which is especially convenient in connection with
Deer’s plans. Truly, without having reached full agreement it is difficult
to keep in step. And Deer’s talk of “moral influence on the Old
Man” shows (please don’t take offence!) the utmost lack of mutual
under standing. Why doesn’t Deer write anything about this? The
plan of co-opting Martov is simply ridiculous; it shows such a lack of
understanding that there are certain to be instances when you will get into a
mess, and with a scandal at that. No really, I can’t even speak seriously
about your co-opting Martov; if you have been thinking of it seriously, then we
speak different tongues! We have all (including Stake) laughed until we cried
over this “plan”!!

Notes

[3]The state of affairs in the Caucasus in connection with the behaviour of
the Tiflis delegate Topuridze (Isari), who deserted to the Mensheviks after
the Second Congress, is fully dealt within Lenin’s letter to the
Caucasian Union Committee.

[4]This refers to the Central Committee’s announcement (report)
concerning the Party’s Second Congress which had been held; the draft
announcement had been sent to Russia.